Alcoa Overcomes Flag-Filled Chaos to Claim 4A State Title Over Pearl-Cohn
In a championship game that felt more like a referee’s clinic than a title bout, Alcoa and Pearl-Cohn combined for a staggering 30 penalties Saturday at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga. But amid all the yellow laundry, one thing remained clear: Alcoa knows how to win when it matters most.
The Tornadoes claimed the TSSAA Class 4A BlueCross Bowl with a 47-27 victory, earning their 11th state title in 14 seasons. And they did it while navigating an avalanche of flags-16 of them, to be exact, on their side alone.
“I don’t know that we’ve ever had 16 penalties,” said Alcoa head coach Brian Nix. “I need to watch the film, but… I’ve never seen anything like it.”
You weren’t alone, Coach.
The game set a new high-at least since 2000-for the most penalties in a TSSAA championship game, with 235 combined yards in infractions. And if you were sitting in the stands, you likely heard Alcoa’s marching band echoing its now-famous “You can’t do that” chant after nearly every call.
That Dragnet-themed refrain rang out 14 times in support of their team. Pearl-Cohn’s band might’ve matched it had they known the tune.
Fast Start, Sloppy Middle
Alcoa (14-1) wasted no time setting the tone. On just the second play from scrimmage, MVP Micah Jones broke loose for a 45-yard touchdown run. Less than a minute later, Cade Stinnett turned a strip sack into a scoop-and-score, and suddenly it was 14-0 before Pearl-Cohn could blink.
But what started as a runaway quickly turned into a grind. Both teams traded big plays and big mistakes, with flags constantly halting momentum.
Despite the chaos, Alcoa’s offensive resilience stood out. Three of their seven scoring drives went 75 yards or more-no small feat when penalties kept forcing them into long-yardage situations.
Pearl-Cohn (10-5), meanwhile, showed flashes of brilliance but struggled to stay out of their own way.
“I thought we played hard,” said Firebirds head coach Tony Brunetti. “I thought we didn’t play smart.”
Penalties That Hurt
The Firebirds’ miscues weren’t just frequent-they were costly. After a facemask penalty turned an Alcoa sack into a first down, back-to-back false starts erased any chance of a scoring drive late in the first half. They trailed 33-14 at the break.
Later, with a chance to claw back in the third quarter after recovering a fumble at midfield, Pearl-Cohn again unraveled. An illegal formation followed by another false start killed the drive before it could get going.
“You feel like you’re moving down the field, and then just like that you’re back where you started,” said junior quarterback LJ Funk, who still managed to throw for 241 yards and four touchdowns. “It’s hard to come back from that as an offense.”
Funk connected twice with senior Omarion Starnes and also found receivers Ladamion Hunter and Landan Left for scores. When the Firebirds weren’t being pushed backward, they moved the ball effectively. But the rhythm was fleeting.
Referees flagged 10 different types of penalties in the game-everything from facemasks to delay of game to unsportsmanlike conduct. Pearl-Cohn alone was hit with three delay of game calls on kickoffs, a rare and head-scratching stat line.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Brunetti said when asked about those specific penalties.
Alcoa’s Poise Wins the Day
In a game this disjointed, poise mattered. Alcoa had it. Pearl-Cohn didn’t.
Even as the flags mounted and the tempo slowed, the Tornadoes kept their focus. Jones, who finished with four rushing touchdowns, was the steadying force.
His blend of power and vision allowed Alcoa to reset drives that seemed doomed by penalties. And when the Firebirds tried to mount a second-half rally, Alcoa answered with a pair of backbreaking scores-a 1-yard plunge from Jones and an 18-yard touchdown pass from Thomas Manu to Jacolby Cooper.
“It was a weird vibe,” Nix said. “It kind of slowed the game down. But they had to deal with it, too, so we had to deal with that adversity just like they did.”
Pearl-Cohn’s Season Ends, But the Fire Still Burns
For Pearl-Cohn, the loss ends a remarkable turnaround season. After starting 0-4, the Firebirds rattled off 10 straight wins to reach the title game. And despite the penalties, they showed enough explosiveness to suggest this won’t be their last trip to the big stage.
“I think it motivates me a lot,” Funk said. “Seeing them cheer and stuff and seeing all of my friends sad… I think we’ll be more prepared.
I’ll be honest, stepping out on the field for the first time, it was my first state game, it was a great feeling. I think now that all the nervousness is out, I think we can come out and execute next year.”
Final Score: Alcoa 47, Pearl-Cohn 27
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
A - Micah Jones 45-yard run (10:46), Kyrin Tyson kick
A - Cade Stinnett 3-yard fumble return (9:41), Tyson kick
P - Ladamion Hunter 13-yard pass from LJ Funk (4:42), Rohan Kassie kick
A - Demauri Dubose 88-yard kickoff return (4:29), Tyson kick
Second Quarter
A - Jones 8-yard run (6:42)
P - Omarion Starnes 25-yard pass from Funk (3:34), Kassie kick
A - Jones 18-yard run (0:59)
Third Quarter
P - Starnes 21-yard pass from Funk (8:59), Kassie kick
Fourth Quarter
A - Jones 1-yard run (10:09), Tyson kick
A - Jacolby Cooper 18-yard pass from Thomas Manu (8:46), Tyson kick
P - Landan Left 17-yard pass from Funk (3:40)
Bottom Line: The Tornadoes were far from perfect, but their ability to stay composed in a game that was anything but, proved championship-worthy. For Pearl-Cohn, the loss stings-but the foundation for another run is clearly in place.